The Odd Couple
by Captain Samantha Lovegood
Summary: Harry fails with Ginny, and while he's feeling down only someone a little loony can make him feel better. HL pairing. ONE SHOT!


Title: The Odd Couple  
Pairings: Harry/Luna  
Any warnings: None  
Rating: G  
Summary: When Harry Potter is down in the dumps, only someone a little loony can help cheer him up!  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, the books you read would be filled with nothing but H/L fluff and snogging.  
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_A roar of celebration erupted from the hole behind her. Harry gaped as people began to scream at the sight of him; several hands pulled him into the room._

_"We won!" yelled Ron, bounding into sight and brandishing the silver Cup at Harry. "We won! Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!"_

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_Harry looked around; there was Ginny running toward him; she had a hard, blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around him._

And he had done nothing.

Ginny Weasley, the girl Harry had been thinking endlessly of for what seemed like an eternity, had embraced him. And he did absolutely nothing. Nothing but grow awkwardly tense and hug her back.

It seemed like the perfect moment, the perfect moment to kiss Ginny and finally tell her how he felt. Now it was over; Harry was sitting in the Three Broomsticks while Ginny sat far from him, engrossed with another boy. He sighed. If he really cared about her as much as he had thought, then he would have kissed. He would have done _something_, anything besides just hug her back. If Harry really fancied Ginny than he would have told her, told her that he cared…

"Excuse me."

Harry finally looked up from his copy of the _Daily Prophet_. (He had not really been reading it—it had been used to hide his sulking.) His eyes set upon Luna Lovegood, who was standing over his table with familiar wide eyes. Dirty blond hair was pushed back over her ears and she had two ice creams grasped firmly in her hands.

There was an odd tone in Harry's voice as he replied, "Hi Luna."

"Hello Harry," she replied, watching intently as some strawberry goop slither down her wrist. "Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

Harry looked around; the Three Broomsticks actually seemed to be quite empty. There was Ginny and her date, a rather depressed looking Cho Chang with her friend Marietta, and Romilda Vane looking quite snub as she glanced at Harry with Luna. The sad thing was, though the place was not full Luna had no choice but to sit with him. Luna Lovegood—or "Loony," as she was often called—was different from other people at Hogwarts. Nobody, excluding Ginny and Harry himself, would want to sit with her.

"Oh, yeah. Sure."

She smiled serenely and sat next to him. She passed him the vanilla and carefully took a lick of her own strawberry. Harry accepted the ice cream and bitterly folded his paper one hand. Luna gave him a funny look.  
"You shouldn't do that, Harry. You could get a paper cut and become infected with cipswishers," she said seriously. "They can take over your brain and make you walk you into things. My cousin couldn't stop running into poles for three weeks."

And suddenly, something odd hit Harry's stomach. It was a good feeling; it was the feeling of amusement and joy. Luna's comment had struck him funny. As he fought the powerful urge to laugh, Harry thought about just how good it was to feel even the slightest bit of happiness again.

"I'll be careful," said Harry, suppressing a chuckle. "I swear," he added, seeing Luna's stern expression. He took a lick of his ice cream.

"Good. I've never gotten cipswishers before, but walking into things all the time wouldn't be very pleasant, would it? Harry, you're dripping."

Harry looked down. Vanilla ice cream was rolling down his shirt. He shrugged it off. Really he had been too busy listening to Luna's strange, yet humorous talk of cipswishers. Harry liked Luna; there were many reasons to like her. She was smart, though many people to it more granite. She was funny, though she usually did not try to be. She had an odd fashion sense that could cheer up anybody on a cloudy day.

_She's perfect_.

Harry's own thoughts surprised him. Sure, he liked Luna, but to call her perfect was a bit over the top, wasn't it? He did not fancy her, after all…Did he?

_Of course I don't. I can't. She's just my friend. Besides, I'm still getting over Ginny. _

But after an hour long chat with Luna, his thoughts were questioned. She had entranced him with her words. She had described her home life, before and after he mother had died. She explained how she and Neville had loved the D.A. and were quite depressed when they learned it was over. She also spoke of her holiday in the Sweden with her father. They had not found any Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, but Luna said they had a cheerful time anyway.

When they were finished and ready to return to Hogwarts, Harry found himself caring for his friend Luna a little more than he had. It was not like this is with his other crushes. He had barley known Cho Chang when he kissed her, and after just one date he could tell what kind of person she was. With Ginny, it had come from no where. For five years they had been nothing but friends; sure he had saved her life, but it's not as if they had ever spiked a romance from it…sure Ginny had fancied him before, but she was just a little girl then. She had moved in. Harry wondered if it were best that he moved on, too.

And then Luna spoke.

"You fancy Ginny, don't you Harry? I can see it in your eyes," she said, a mysterious glow in her own. Her dirty blond hair was pulled back into a poorly done ponytail, using her wand as the tie. Dark blue shoes scuffed the ground as they walked.

"No. I mean, yes, I used too, but…" Harry stopped, trying to find the right words to explain it to her. Luna was a complex person, stating something the wrong way could end up badly. He pushed his glasses up. "I did, but it's obvious she doesn't fancy me back, isn't it?" His tone was not bitter.

She smiled. "You never know. You should talk to her and see if she shares your feelings, Harry. Love is the greatest mystery of the world."

"I don't love her," he replied quickly. He was not even sure he fancied her any more. "It was a crush. I don't really have the same feelings for her anymore though, you know, I'm trying to get over her…"

Her smile only grew wider. He could feel her hand touch his, and when it did he blushed and tried to avoid her glance. She started to hum. It was a slow, sad sounding tune that Harry was not familiar with. It seemed to have only one verse, but each time she repeated it Harry grew more and more fond of it. It was something a mother would sing to her child, a soft melody before bedtime.

When Luna was finished her song, they were at the path to Hogwarts. As they approached the castle Harry felt something in the pit of his stomach, but this time it was not joy. It was the same knot that had appeared while talking to Luna the end of last year. He was depressed that she had to go. He had enjoyed her company so much; it was like having a constant confidante with Luna around. He liked her, but if he liked her as just a friend or more was still a mystery to him. Turning, Harry looked into Luna's pale blue eyes and realized that it did not matter to him anyway.

"'Night, Luna. Do you want me to walk you in?" he asked.

She shook her head "no" and gave his hand a squeeze. "Thank-you for the time, Harry. You're nicer to me than most people," she said, not sadly. The hard thing for Harry to except was, really, that she was right.

And then, without thinking, without planning it, he kissed her.

It seemed hard for Harry Potter to even _think_ about kissing Luna Lovegood, let alone actually _do _so, and with twenty-some-odd other people watching them. But here he was, his arms wrapped tightly around her, the strangest girl in all of Hogwarts. And he did not care. The fact that twenty other people were staring at them was not important to him. He liked Luna, though on what level he was not sure of, and nothing else mattered to him.

"Ooh!" squealed Parvati Patil, giggling and pointing one long, dark finger at them. "Look everybody! _Harry's snogging Loony_!"

Soon and endless blare of "Oohs" and "Aaahs!" and wolf-whistles erupted from around them, and still Harry continued to ignore them. It just did not matter, not at a time like this.

Soon they broke apart, and when they did Harry's face felt like it was on fire. He probably resembled a ripe tomato, blushing from ear-to-ear. He was not blushing because everyone was staring. He was blushing because he had been so forward with Luna. Would she be comfortable with Harry's sudden outburst?

Gently, he took Luna by the hand and started to walk her into the castle, though she had told him not to. She did not seem to mind. Instead she was grinning, beaming at him even more so than when he had asked her to Slughorn's party. Her untidy ponytail was falling out and her pale, misty eyes looked even wider than usual.

"Oh, wow!" she exclaimed, a bit too loudly. "How pleasant. I have never been kissed before! Not by a boy! Oh, this is wonderful. Absolutely splendid. Just wait until I tell Dad!"

"Err…" said Harry, as he came to a halt. "Luna, I'd rather you kind of not tell people, okay? I'd rather that nobody knew except us." He paused, then flushed crimson. "At least, nobody other than the people who saw."

"But Harry," replied Luna, a bit of confusion standing out amongst her dreamy voice. "Everyone is going to know anyway. I'm sure all of Hogwarts knows already."

He sighed. Luna, of course, was right. Nothing stayed secret at Hogwarts for very long. Parvati Patil and her friends probably had told half of the school already.

"Alright," sighed Harry, "but don't tell anybody who doesn't go to Hogwarts, okay? It can be our secret."

Luna paused for a moment, and then the visionary quality lit up in her eyes so fiercely that it looked like she was as relaxed as she would be lying on a bed of clouds. She smiled at him. "Well, alright. A secret it is then."

"Good," said Harry. He stared absently into Luna's eyes. They were much brighter and attractive than any other girls, that was no question. It was weird; when he had first met Luna on the train to school, he had thought she was a big-eyed freak. Now he was foolishly staring into those same big eyes, thinking only the fondest thoughts of Luna and everything about her.

He took her hand again, and together they headed towards Hogwarts, oblivious and happy as lovers should be. Not that they loved each other…not yet. It would take some time for the two to actually develop stronger feelings for one another, but for now they were as good as a couple, and a very odd couple at that: relaxed, grinning stupidly and holding hands.

Who could ask for more?


End file.
